apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

If we're both home alone and it's a quick pit stop, it's usually left ajar - longer stays it's closed completely. If I'm home alone and it's a pit stop, I normally forget to shut it - it's my home after all and it's not like someone is watching - LOL.

The bathroom door goes closed completely if company is over, but no one ever locks it. It's mostly because we have the policy if no one is in the restroom, the door is open...so if it's shut, it's because someone is using it and everyone knows not to open the door.

If I'm alone, eh, door open. With my partner, closed. BTW: there seems to be a lot of toilet-themed posts on AT lately, much more than in the past - funny as hell. I'm waiting for the "do you fold or scrunch your toilet paper" poll.

Forgetting to close the bathroom door is one of the sure-fire ways of killing the romance.

If I leave the door open, my cats follow me in and stare. It's unnerving.

I agree with bromelia. Using the facilities with the door open is something my mom does, not me in front of my guy. In fact, we're still at that early stage of dating where we actually turn on the water to prevent the other from hearing anything that might be unsexy.

with my partner - #1, who cares... door open, him standing right beside me brushing his teeth... it doesn't matter! #2, door closed. anytime guests are over, door closed (but I don't have a lock on the door, if it's closed it's occupied).

I leave it open, but I don't think the boyfriend likes it. He locks it even for a pee! (probably because the cat and I are pests and will open the door just to hear him holler). I've told him to pee while I'm in the same room, but he refuses.

I don't share an apt with my boyfriend yet, but when I'm over at his place and it's just the two of us...the door is usually open. And while this can be GROSS (you've been warned), we'll usually wait to flush the toilet until...it's necessary...to not waste as much water.

We've been together long enough that neither of us really cares anymore. When you camp and you get scared doing what bears do in the woods... and he has to be nearby all "care factor" becomes void. Having to take care of a partner who has food poisoning also helps to dull the yuck out of the situation.

Ick. I must have my privacy.

Also, why no sound of hand washing in that cartoon? I'm totally icked out here.

I once had a girlfriend who complained about how loud and long I peed with the bathroom door closed from two rooms away (she was a light sleeper, to say the least).

I let a couple weeks go by, then filled a 1/2 gallon pitcher with water and hid it under the sink. When I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, I snuck out the pitcher and continued pouring after I was done. Start, stop, long, short, drip, drip, drip, pourrrrrrrrrrrrr. She completely flipped out.

It doesn't even come up, took the bathroom door out, it just got in the way.

oh man, we have two bedrooms in our large, roommate-filled apartment. the bathroom my bf and I use was recently renovated and thus has a door that blocks sound decently and a fan that can further diguise any sounds. however, the bathroom down the hall is older and the door has a decent gap at the bottom and is generally useless at blocking sound. I can hear my roommates' tinkles in the living room with the tv on.

my cat also tries to follow me in, but if I get the door closed before she makes it in, she waits outside with her nose pressed up against the crack. every time, without fail (but only for me). when she was a kitten she would jump up on my lap as if I were only there to provide her with a seat.

and that's hilarious, almostad!

Me alone, door open. When spouse is around, door is closed. The bathroom is the last sanctuary left. This is our last bit of privacy we have left in our marriage and we like not having to share this experience with each other. It keeps it mysterious (Hey...what ya doing in there!).

My very elegant great aunt met my uncle when they were young teens, and until his death at 72, my uncle lit up when his beloved walked into the room. My aunt told me that beyond love, communication and kindness, mystery was key to a lasting love affair. And in case I didn't get it, she said, "this means you must ALWAYS close the bathroom door." In my experience, she was right. Certain things (odors, the image of your beloved clipping his nose hair) are best left unshared if you want to preserve desire.

Ugh!! That girl in the cartoon looks like she's about 10, how disgusting. Didn't anyone notice it and feel uncomfortable. The 'cartoon boy' looks older almost like her dad.

My bathroom is so small you can't sit on the toilet unless you close the door....

I remember that years ago Psychology Today used this question for part of a psychological self exam! I guess it Has Implications! (Since I don't bother to shut the door if there is nobody to look in and sometimes even when I just assume nobody is near enough to look, I probably should remember what that signified, but I don't.)

Aria1 - I just assumed they were hipsters. All young hipster guys in beards and glasses look like someone's crazy dad at first glance. (Then you see the scarf around their neck, and want to punch them.)
And at 25, I can vouch for the fact that in my pjs, without makeup and heels, I look shockingly underage.

So, overall I was relieved that he wasn't wearing a stupid scarf around his neck.

My husband and I have been married nearly four years, and we haven't seen each other pee or poop yet. We both plan to keep it that way, because we think romance needs some mystery. I've even been known to go out of my way to use the powder room toilet if I need to get away from his hearing for some...uh...extra privacy. He has, unfortunately, seen me throw up in his truck. I still don't have bathroom privacy, though, because I have a toddler who insists on following me into the bathroom, and there's usually at least one of my two cats in there, too.

JeffyD always, always closes the door. If I'm just in there for a quickie p-stop, I'll leave the door open - no big deal.

Poo? That's another story. Door closed and please use the potty that isn't near where the other person is, ok? OK.

Closed. Locked. Always.

locked door if we have guests, but otherwise its open...helps remove the moisture and prevent mould when we take hot showers(which is most of the time) since we dont have a fan in the rental apartment ......pee or poop we seen each other doin it all and frankly it hasnt reduced our romance at all.......been together for 5 years...

It's gonna stink, why hide it? I keep my door open all the time if its just my bf and I. Company over... door closed.

I live alone - so who cares...
...but if I have company over - I retreat to the farthest bathroom and close as many doors as possible.

Will North America ever get over silly body consciousness? We always close the door at home, but it's not an issue if the two of us must use the toilet/sink at the same time. The "mystery maintaining" illusion is just that. Everybody has bodily functions, and I think there's more love in a couple where they know and acknowledge their bodies enough to help a sick spouse to the toilet and such, without worrying about the mystery of what 6 billion people do EVERY SINGLE DAY (um, hopefully).

*My first comment!*

wally3, you said exactly what I was thinking as I read all the comments. I've been with my now-husband for almost 6 years, and we are so ridiculously comfortable with each other, I can't imagine still feeling the need to go out of my way to keep things hidden from him, even things as "private" as potty-time.

My bf and I had been camping before we even started dating, so there never was any sense of privacy about these things. We just try to remember to shut the door if we have company...

And yes, the cats do always try to sit on my lap...

missdk- I don't blame your boyfriend for wanting to lock the door!

i'm not sure how you can be physically intimate with someone but still get grossed out when they leave the door open when they pee.

in our house, if it's anything more than peeing the door gets closed, unless the other person is in the shower. then the shower curtain counts as a door.

when company's around, of course, the door is closed for all of the above.

Door closed always. Though my roommate pees/talks on the phone/and clips her nails all at the same time with the door open. Whose privacy aren't you violating at that point.

I would love to see a survey about locking the bathroom door. I never do because I would like to think we live in a civilized world where people knock before they enter.

This made me giggle. We live in a bungalow and our bathroom door is directly opposite the sitting room door, so with both doors wide open, you can watch TV while sat on the loo. We chat and discuss things across the hallway. My boyfriend does have a habit of taking the tv remote in there with him too.. If the remote ever goes missing, you can guarantee it's been left in the bathroom.

Our dog doesn't seem to like it when we shut doors, she paces outside the bathroom, she likes to be able to see where we both are!!

And as for a lock, our bathroom door doesn't even have one! It only becomes a pain at parties, when it's tricky to keep track of everyone in the house.